Sorry 'bout the cliffhangers, but I really like doing that! ^u^v And thanks to those who reviewed!! On short chapter thingie, well, I'll try to make it longer... But I like making things short and sweet!
Disclaimer: I'm only using FoR and its characters for the fun of it! It doesn't belong to me.
A Cup of Tea
Chapter 5
It was 4 p.m. now. He was ready. Ready to get his over with so he could get a move on with his life.
But the familiar jovial voice of Fuuko never came.
…until an hour later.
The doorbell rang. And rang again.
Mikagami, knowing fully well who was at the door, pointedly ignored the ceaseless ringing and didn't move from his position on the couch.
The ringing stopped… But was then replaced by loud banging on his door.
"I told you 4 p.m. sharp!" he called out.
"Something came up!!!" was the loud reply from outside.
He didn't answer back.
"Mi-chan let me in!!"
Outside, Fuuko glared at the door and mentally cursed Mikagami for being such a tight-ass. Why did he have to be so uptight with the time anyway? It's not as if made him wait for an eternity. If anyone should be pissed of right now, it's supposed to be her! And with damn good reason too. She was the one who spent eternity dressing up for this special occasion, and now HE was complaining? She shiftily glanced around her and heaved a sigh of relief that nobody else was around the vicinity. If anyone saw her like this, she'd have no other choice than to resort to great bodily harm.
"Mikagami, I want in NOW!!" she demanded.
No answer.
"MIKAGAAAAAAAMIIIIIIIIII!!!!!"
Now that did it.
Having no intention of having his cochlea shattered, Tokiya flung open the door and was faced by a red-faced Fuuko Kirisawa, gasping for air after her little yet loud repertoire.
"It's about time you let me in!" she exclaimed and made her way inside without as much as a polite 'shitsurei shimasu'.
But Mikagami was too much at a loss for words to notice her lack of civility. "Fuuko, you…"
"What?"
He pointed at her outfit. "Kimono?"
And indeed, Fuuko Kirisawa was adorably kimonoed, complete with the slippers, fan and hair accessories.
'I'm dressed for the occasion, you dolt!" She looked at his ensemble and frowned. "What are YOU wearing? Why on earth would you do a proper tea ceremony wearing THAT? Have you no respect for our culture?!"
Tokiya looked down at his white polo shirt and slacks. Then he returned his gaze at her purple kimono decorated with cherry blossoms and pagodas. The difference in the dress code was obvious. Apparently, he forgot to mention to her the fact that this was not a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Instead, they were to enjoy a warm cup of Earl Grey along with salted biscuits and cake.
Fuuko didn't take his oversight too well.
"WHAAAAAAT?!?! You mean I just wasted 2 hours of my life trying to get into this crap just to find out I'm not supposed to be in this thing at all?!"
"It's not crap, Fuuko. Have you no respect for out culture?" he, trying to hold back what he thought could come out as laughter, chastised calmly.
She was about to explode again, but decided it was a lost cause to do so, since she was stuck with her kimono for the rest of the day. She flopped down on his couch and looked at him dejectedly.
"You have no idea how hard it is to move with this thing," she muttered. "I feel like sushi."
"Is this the first time you've worn a kimono?"
She shook her head. "No, but it was a really long time ago. I was four, I think." Then her face lighted up as an idea came to her. "Hey, do you have a spare change of clothes?"
Mikagami nodded. "But I'm not lending."
"What? Are you afraid you'd get monkey fleas?" Fuuko asked sarcastically.
"I like you the way you are."
Wide purple eyes locked with his, and it was then that he realized what he just said.
"What I meant was you look okay, Kirisawa," he amended quickly. "You don't need to change."
Fuuko stood up and cleared the front of her kimono. "Thanks for taking back the compliment," she said sarcastically.
He led her outside towards the garden, where they were to have tea. "You're very much welcome."
The wind-wielder sighed and followed Mikagami's retreating form, all the while marveling at the interior of his home. Although she has been to his house before, she and the others never got to explore much after a cold threat of bloody murder if they ever took a step out of the foyer. To actually be granted permission to go further in the iceman's abode was great pleasure to her. She has always wondered what kind of environment Tokiya Mikagami took solace in, and she was mildly surprised to find pricey-looking antiques adorning his living room. She really thought that Mikagami went for the modern furniture and embellishments like those swanky silver-toed chairs, lava lamps and funky chandeliers.
"You've got quite a crib here, Mi-chan," she commented. "It's kinda drab for my tastes though. Bordering to scary even. Reminds me of the Beast's castle. Hehe! Not that you're the beast, Mi-chan… But it can use some… "
Fuuko's voice trailed off as she stepped out into the garden.
"Color…"
Tokiya watched as she slowly took in the view. He was about to make another sardonic remark about her losing the ability to talk in front of nature, but the look of surprise combined with something akin to awe painted on her face stopped him from doing so.
For the second time that day, she pushed him aside, though not as roughly as before, and explored the garden with utmost caution and delight.
Despite his earlier vexation, Mikagami found himself smiling, although a small one, as the younger teen tried to see as much as she could through the proportions of her kimono.
Fuuko turned to him in the middle of her exploration. "Did you grow all of these Mi-chan?"
He nodded.
Grinning, she went back to where he was seated in the freshly whitewashed veranda and took the seat across his. "I never expected that you, of all people, could actually take care of such delicate flora," she admitted.
"And why not?" he asked out of curiosity.
"You never seem to show care for anyone or anything else except yourself, so I find it surprising that you could raise those," she, gesturing to the vast greenery, answered.
It was yet another one of her direct observations, he noted. He only took up gardening since it was a requirement for his biology class years ago. He never realized he's end up making a hobby out of it. Truth be told, he, also, has wondered why he showed eager fondness for verdure, when he never bothered for taking responsibility over anything but himself.
He silently wondered at Fuuko's ability to reason and draw immediate conclusions.
Maybe he didn't make a misjudgment this time.
He reached for his cup, and she followed suit.
Reaching for the teapot, he leaned forward and asked, "Shall we begin?"
She pushed her cup forward and smiled.
TBC
Disclaimer: I'm only using FoR and its characters for the fun of it! It doesn't belong to me.
A Cup of Tea
Chapter 5
It was 4 p.m. now. He was ready. Ready to get his over with so he could get a move on with his life.
But the familiar jovial voice of Fuuko never came.
…until an hour later.
The doorbell rang. And rang again.
Mikagami, knowing fully well who was at the door, pointedly ignored the ceaseless ringing and didn't move from his position on the couch.
The ringing stopped… But was then replaced by loud banging on his door.
"I told you 4 p.m. sharp!" he called out.
"Something came up!!!" was the loud reply from outside.
He didn't answer back.
"Mi-chan let me in!!"
Outside, Fuuko glared at the door and mentally cursed Mikagami for being such a tight-ass. Why did he have to be so uptight with the time anyway? It's not as if made him wait for an eternity. If anyone should be pissed of right now, it's supposed to be her! And with damn good reason too. She was the one who spent eternity dressing up for this special occasion, and now HE was complaining? She shiftily glanced around her and heaved a sigh of relief that nobody else was around the vicinity. If anyone saw her like this, she'd have no other choice than to resort to great bodily harm.
"Mikagami, I want in NOW!!" she demanded.
No answer.
"MIKAGAAAAAAAMIIIIIIIIII!!!!!"
Now that did it.
Having no intention of having his cochlea shattered, Tokiya flung open the door and was faced by a red-faced Fuuko Kirisawa, gasping for air after her little yet loud repertoire.
"It's about time you let me in!" she exclaimed and made her way inside without as much as a polite 'shitsurei shimasu'.
But Mikagami was too much at a loss for words to notice her lack of civility. "Fuuko, you…"
"What?"
He pointed at her outfit. "Kimono?"
And indeed, Fuuko Kirisawa was adorably kimonoed, complete with the slippers, fan and hair accessories.
'I'm dressed for the occasion, you dolt!" She looked at his ensemble and frowned. "What are YOU wearing? Why on earth would you do a proper tea ceremony wearing THAT? Have you no respect for our culture?!"
Tokiya looked down at his white polo shirt and slacks. Then he returned his gaze at her purple kimono decorated with cherry blossoms and pagodas. The difference in the dress code was obvious. Apparently, he forgot to mention to her the fact that this was not a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Instead, they were to enjoy a warm cup of Earl Grey along with salted biscuits and cake.
Fuuko didn't take his oversight too well.
"WHAAAAAAT?!?! You mean I just wasted 2 hours of my life trying to get into this crap just to find out I'm not supposed to be in this thing at all?!"
"It's not crap, Fuuko. Have you no respect for out culture?" he, trying to hold back what he thought could come out as laughter, chastised calmly.
She was about to explode again, but decided it was a lost cause to do so, since she was stuck with her kimono for the rest of the day. She flopped down on his couch and looked at him dejectedly.
"You have no idea how hard it is to move with this thing," she muttered. "I feel like sushi."
"Is this the first time you've worn a kimono?"
She shook her head. "No, but it was a really long time ago. I was four, I think." Then her face lighted up as an idea came to her. "Hey, do you have a spare change of clothes?"
Mikagami nodded. "But I'm not lending."
"What? Are you afraid you'd get monkey fleas?" Fuuko asked sarcastically.
"I like you the way you are."
Wide purple eyes locked with his, and it was then that he realized what he just said.
"What I meant was you look okay, Kirisawa," he amended quickly. "You don't need to change."
Fuuko stood up and cleared the front of her kimono. "Thanks for taking back the compliment," she said sarcastically.
He led her outside towards the garden, where they were to have tea. "You're very much welcome."
The wind-wielder sighed and followed Mikagami's retreating form, all the while marveling at the interior of his home. Although she has been to his house before, she and the others never got to explore much after a cold threat of bloody murder if they ever took a step out of the foyer. To actually be granted permission to go further in the iceman's abode was great pleasure to her. She has always wondered what kind of environment Tokiya Mikagami took solace in, and she was mildly surprised to find pricey-looking antiques adorning his living room. She really thought that Mikagami went for the modern furniture and embellishments like those swanky silver-toed chairs, lava lamps and funky chandeliers.
"You've got quite a crib here, Mi-chan," she commented. "It's kinda drab for my tastes though. Bordering to scary even. Reminds me of the Beast's castle. Hehe! Not that you're the beast, Mi-chan… But it can use some… "
Fuuko's voice trailed off as she stepped out into the garden.
"Color…"
Tokiya watched as she slowly took in the view. He was about to make another sardonic remark about her losing the ability to talk in front of nature, but the look of surprise combined with something akin to awe painted on her face stopped him from doing so.
For the second time that day, she pushed him aside, though not as roughly as before, and explored the garden with utmost caution and delight.
Despite his earlier vexation, Mikagami found himself smiling, although a small one, as the younger teen tried to see as much as she could through the proportions of her kimono.
Fuuko turned to him in the middle of her exploration. "Did you grow all of these Mi-chan?"
He nodded.
Grinning, she went back to where he was seated in the freshly whitewashed veranda and took the seat across his. "I never expected that you, of all people, could actually take care of such delicate flora," she admitted.
"And why not?" he asked out of curiosity.
"You never seem to show care for anyone or anything else except yourself, so I find it surprising that you could raise those," she, gesturing to the vast greenery, answered.
It was yet another one of her direct observations, he noted. He only took up gardening since it was a requirement for his biology class years ago. He never realized he's end up making a hobby out of it. Truth be told, he, also, has wondered why he showed eager fondness for verdure, when he never bothered for taking responsibility over anything but himself.
He silently wondered at Fuuko's ability to reason and draw immediate conclusions.
Maybe he didn't make a misjudgment this time.
He reached for his cup, and she followed suit.
Reaching for the teapot, he leaned forward and asked, "Shall we begin?"
She pushed her cup forward and smiled.
TBC